Harold e



Feb. 14, 1928. 1,658,862

H. E. sLADE ELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE Filed 1386.11, 192e v fly-VZ,

#f7/POL D E 5L H05,

I 7U IUHNEYST INVENTOR:

Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD vEL SLADE, OF GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, .,ASSGNOR '10 BEAVER MACHINE & TOOL CO., INC., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OFYNEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE.

Application filed December 11, 1926. Serial No. 154,165.

Mv invention relates to a new and useful improvement in electrical outlet devices'ot the type adapted to be used in conjunction with the conventional blade type of electrical connector plugs, and it relates more particularly to an electrical outlet device of this character, adapted to` be mounted` or installed in the walls ot electricalfixtures and to be carried by said Walls, Lor to be mounted in and carried by a suitable relatively thin panel or wall plate or the like, and to have the major portion of its body concealed in said supporting wall, panel or plate, and havingl only its receiving end positioned exteriorly of such panel or Wall.

My invention relates more particularly to an electrical outlet device of the character stated, comprising an insulating housing having suitable Contact receiving recesses therein, removable spring contacts in said recesses, an insulating closure, and means :For detachably securing said closure member to said housing in such a manner as to conlline Within it the Contact members as well as the terminals ot the electrical conductors, secured to such member, thereby to const1- tute a unitary assembly, wired completely and ready to be mounted in any `Wall of an electrical fixture, Vor any supporting panel,

3 wall plate or the like, and means cooperating with said housing, to secure such unitary assembly in said wall or panel, whiclris quickly mountable and detachable at will, and the attachment or detachment ot' which will not in` any Way disturb the unitary assembly of said electrical outlet device, that is, will not in any Way disturb the, electrical connection between the electrical conductors and the spring contacts, nor will it dislodge `the contact members Within the housing.

By the novel construction of my present construction, I am enabled to produce an electrical outlet device of this character, adapted chiefly to be used in connection with, and mounted upon, electrical .ixtures, by inserting the same through the walls thereof or to be mounted upon relatively thin panels orrplates, which may be Wired and then assembled and retained in the assembled condition AWhile the same is being mounted in the supporting wall or panel, thereby greatlyfacilitating the installation of said electrical outlet device, since the component parts of the assembled unit are non-separable and means surrounding the inner or concealed portion oit said housing for firmly securing said device to the supporting Wall or panel, in an easy and quickly detachable manner.V y

lith the above ends in view, my present invention consists of an insulating housing, having a reduced diameter inner portion adapted to be inserted into the .apertured wall of the electrical fixture or into any suit able apertured panchwall plate or the like, and having an outer enlarged diameter portion adapted to be positioned exteriorly of such wall, panel, ork plate and having a transverse annular shoulder, intermediate of said portions et diilerent diameters, adapted to abut the outer surface of said wall, panel or plate. `'lhe insulating housing includes longitudinal contact chambers, correspond ing blade receiving apertures extending from the outer tace ot' saidl insulating housing to said contactv chambers, contact members within said chambers having spring blade engaging members in operative alignment with said blade receiving apertures, and an insulating closure member extending over the inner end of said housing, to enclose said contact chambers. My invention further consists ot a metallic assembling plate, on said insulating closure member, having a threaded opening therethrough in alignment with the axis of said housing, and having av second `opening therethrough, spaced trom said threaded opening, an assembling screw extending through said second opening and through said insulating closure .and threaded into said housing, thereby firmly to secure said insulating closure as well as said assemblingrplate to said housing and thereby to confine within it the spring Contact members and to maintain said elements of the struc ture in an assembled and permanent relation to each other, as a. unit.

My invention further consists of a generally cup shaped metallic securing shell, encas ing the inner portion ot' said housing and assembled unit, and being of a depth slightly greater than the depth of said housing, and amounting screw extending through the end wall of said cup shaped securing member and threaded into the axial threaded opening in said assembling plate, thereby to draw said housing and said securing member together.v and thus to clamp said apertured supporting wall, panel or plate, between the shaped securing member, and thereby also iirmly to secure the entire outlet'device with-l` in and upon said wall, panel o r plate. Y

For the purpose oi' illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying;

drawings, forms thereof which are at'present preferred by me'since they will give in practice, satisfactory and reliable results, although itfis to be understood that the various instrui'nentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangementv and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure'l represents a vertical section on line 1-1 of Figure 8, illustratingr the sepa.- rate assen'ibling and mounting ot' my nove-l electrical outlet device.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 ot Figure 8. *f

Figure 8 represents av bottom plan View ot' my novel electrical outlet device, with the securing shell removed therefrom, so as to eXpose to viewvthe/ general arrangement ot the insulating closure and the metallic as sembling plate secured thereon. v

Having reference to the foregoing figures ot the accompanying drawings, the electrical outlet device of my present'invention comprises, lirst, an insulating housing 1 iforined of any suitable material such as hard rubber, balrelite, porcelain or any other suitable insulating composition, having a reduced diameter inner portion 2, adapted to be inserted into a suitable aperture 3, in any supporting wall,ipanel or plate 4, and to be concealed from without, and having the enlarged diameter outer receiving portion 5, exteriorly ofsaidl wall 4, and a transversely extending annular shoulder 6 yintermediate .said portions 2 and 5. of different diameters,

extending sul'istantially at a right angle to the axis of the housing, and adapted to abut the .outer surface fof the wall, panel, or plate 4t. t

The insulating housing 1 is provided with a pair of opposed longitudinal contact chambers 7 and'8 respectively, spaced equidistantly Jfrom the axis of the housing, and blade receiving apertures 9 and 1() extending between the outer surface of said housingr and saidcontact chamber, A pair of transverse conductor channels 12 and 13 are also provided for receiving the corresponding electrical connectors let and 15; said two channels 12 and 18 merging at their outer ends in a common wire or conductor receiving recess 16 ,in said housing, through which the conductors 14 and 15 are adapted to enter the electrical outlet device, and open intothe respective contact chambers 7 and 8 at their angle to the body member 19. The resilient blade engaging membersl 20 are provided with slight projections or bosses 22, and are disposed in operative alignment with the blade receiving recesses 9 and 1() respectively, so as frictionally to engage the blades (not shown in the drawings) of the conven-V tional plug Itype Vof electrical connector,

when the-same are vinserted into the outletl device; said slight projections or bosses 22 being adapted to seat within corresponding recesses or depressions usually provided in the blades of the conventional typeI ofrplug connectors. v v

lach ot the contact members 17'and 18 may also be provided withan aperture 23, indicated in dotted .lines in Figure` 3, ex;

tending through the upright body portion 19` thereof, through which Vthe bare terminals 24 of the electrical conductors 14 and 15 may be extended for the purpose of providing secure engagement between the metallic wiresI 24 and the contact members 17 and 18. y secured and electrically connected Withthe contact members 17 and 18 by soldering or othersuitable means.

In order securely to maintain the contact inembers 17 and 18 within the housing 1, an insulating closure member 25 is provided preferably in the form ofA a circular disc, which is positioned in the inner end ofthe housing, in a manner shown particularly inv Figure '2, thereby to enclose the contact 4chambers 7 and 8 thereofl and also to confine the contact members 17 and 18, between said closure member 25 and the transverse shoulders 26 termed between 'contact chambers 7y `and 8 and the corresponding and somewhat narrower blade receiving apertures 9 and 1()` closure member Vmay be setV into the housing.v

In order to retain the electrical contact members 17 and 18, as we'll asthe electrical connectors 14 and 1 5 and the insulatingv closure` 25, in assembled relation to eachv other7 while the assembled unit is mounted'in an apertured elect-rlcal xture, wall plate or the like, a threaded opening 27 isprovided The wires 24 may also `be .further soy les

in the` housingzl, spaced a suitable distance' from the` axis of the housing, and a Suitable assen'lbling screw 28 is eXte-nded through a corresponding and aligned opening 29 in the insulating closure 25, and is threadedL into said opening 27'.`

lVhile in l\`igure 1 the ythreads of the opening 2T are shown cut directly into the body of the housing 1, yet.- it is within the scope of my invention to provide an internally threaded metallic bushing within the housing, in place of the bare threaded opening 2T, and notably anchored w'thin the housing, adapted to receive the assembling screw 28. The choice of using an internally threaded metallic bushing instead of the bare opening 27, depends chiefly on the character of the material of which the housing 1 of the outlet device is itormed.

By tightening the screw 28 onto the insulating closure- 25, the insulatingclosure lirmly secured to the housing' 1, thereby retaining within thehousing, not only the contact members 17 and 1S, but also retaining the electrical conductors 14; and 15, in assembled relation to the housing 1.

ln order firmly to secure the electrical outlet device of my novel construction, within the apertured wall, panel, or plate 4, a metallic and generally cup shaped clamping shell 30 is positioned over the inner portion of the completely wired and assembled outlet unit, heretofore described; the depth of said cup shaped securing member 30 being slightly greater than the overall dept-h of the inner portion of the housing 1, and a suitable mounting screw 31 is extended through the terminal wall of the cup shaped securing member 30, coaxially with respect thereto and with respect to the housing 1, and is tln'eadedly engaged with the housing 1, by suitable means, to be described hereinafter.

lly means of the mountingscrew 31, the assembled unit heretofore described, is drawn towards and into the cup shaped securing member 30, thereby clamping the supporting wall, panel or plate 4, around the periphery of the aperture 3 thereof, between the transverse annular shoulder 6 ofthe insulating housing 1, and the :free peripheral edge of the cup shaped metallic housing 30. lly so clamping the supporting wall between the insulating .housing 1 and the metallic shell Ill), the electrical outlet device firmly secured to and within the wall et.

'lhe threaded anchorage on the assembled unit, that is, upon the housing 1, for the mounting screw 31, is formed by a metallic assembling plate 32, provided; with an aperture 33 for receiving the assembling .screw 28, whereby said assembling plate 32 may be secured to the housing 1, in a manner shown particularly in Figure 1. Thus in the preferred embodiment of my invention, the plate 32 is placed directly upon the insulating closure 25, and the assembling screw 2S passes through the assembly plate 32 as well as through the insulating plate,25. By this means, not only is the assembly plate L secured lirmly to the housing 1, but said as sembly p'late 32 lso `serves the double func t-ion of reinforcing the relatively thin ins-ie lating closure 25.

In order to provide a threaded screw auchorage for the mounting screw 3l, the sembly plate 32 is provided with an internally threaded opening 311, on the axis of the housing 1, and is also preferably provided with an inwardly extending projection 35 at the opening Set, thereby to increase the ell'ect-ive length of said threaded opening 34 and thus to provide a more substantial threaded anchorage for the screw 31. The insulating closure 28 is also provided with a central aperture opening 36, through which the screw31 may extend, while the housing 1 is also preferably provided with a clearance re cess or opening 42, to allow for an adjustment oiI the screw 31.

Thus, according to my present novel construction the electrical outlet device is assembled, first,'by suitably attaching the elec* trical conductors 14 and 15 to the contact members 17 and 18, then covering the contact chambers by an insulating closure member 25, and positioning a metallic assembly plate 32 over the insulating closure. An assembly screw 31 is then passed through the assembly plate 32 as well as the insulating closure member 25, so as firmly to secure both to the housing. The assembly thus formed, may then be readily mo-unted in any suitable opening 3 in any wall, panel or plate 4, by merely inserting the inner portion thereof into said opening 3, and applying the cup shaped metallic shell 30, in the manner hereinbefore described, by means of the mounting screw 31, extending through the terminal wall of said cup shaped shell 30, and threaded into the assembling plate 32.

By means of this novel construction, a

very efficient, durable and inexpensive electrical outlet device is produced, which. may be wired and assembled with the greatest ease and facility, and which may be mountedon a fixture, wall, or panel, also with. ease and without any attention to the component elements of the outlet device, since the same are held firmly in position by means of the assembly screw 28, the assembly plate 32 and the insulating closure 25. Moreover, by the use of the assembly plate 32, the relatively extensive internally thread ed bushings, moulded or embedded in the housing, are entirely eliminated and an effective anchorage is provided for the mounting screw 31.

In order to prevent any rotation of the electrical outlet device, within the aperture 3, a suitable projection 37 may be provided on the vhousing 1,-and`a corresponding recess 38 may beiiirovided in the periphery of the opening 3,110 ieceive said projection and thereby to lock said housing 1, within said i while the shell may be provided with an inwardly projecting locking tongue 40, pressed outof the wall of the shell 30 and adapted to enter the recess 39, thereby7 to interlock said housing 1 and said shell 3() against relative rotation. A recess 41 is also provided within the wall of the shell 30, corresponding to the inlet recess 16 in the housing, to permit the entrance of the electrical conductors 14 and 15 into said housing.

As will be seen in Figure 1, the depth of the securing shell 30 is slight-ly greater than the effective overall depth of the inner portion of the housing 1. This excess in depth of the shell 30 permits of an adjustment of the' outlet device ofrmy novel construction, to the supporting wall, panel, or plate 4, of `varying thicknesses. Thus, if the thickness of the plate 4 is reduced considerably, it is merely necessary to tighten up the screw 31 to the desired extent until the peripheral edge of the shell 30 engages and clamps said wall 4., By this means, my novel electrical outlet device is applicable to a great variety of uses, such as electrical lighting fixtures, instrument panels, as well as wall plates of standard electrical outlet boxes.

It will now be apparent that I have devvised a novel and useful construction of electrical outlet device which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have lin i the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment lthereof which has been found inpractice to give satisfactoryl and reliable results, it is 'to be understood that the saine is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

` Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and eesire to secure by Letters Patent is V 1. The combination with an apertured supporting wall, of an electrical wiring device,` comprising an insulating housing having a reduced diameter inner portion adaptedito project through said aperture in said supporting wall, and anV enlarged dian'ieter outer portion disposed exteriorly of said supporting wall and having a transverse annular shoulder intermediate said portioiisof rdi'li'erent diameters, recesses within said housing, electrical contacting means within said recesses, an insulating closure member en the inner end of said housing and enclos ing said recesses thereof, an assembling screw extending through said insulatingclo sure and firmly securing the same to the housing, thereby to retain the operative ele- 'ments thereof in assembled relation toieach other, a metallic assembling' plate on said vice, comprising an insulating housing having an inner reduced diainetei portion adapted to'projcct through said ailierture. and an enlarged diameter outer portion dis-A posed exteriorly of said supporting wall,

having a transverse annular shoulder inter#V f mediate of said portions of differentdiameters, and said housing having recesses there# in, electrical contact members within said recesses, an insulating closure member on the inner end of said housing and enclosing-said recesses thereof, an assembling screw extending through said insulatingl closure and into the housingl firmly securing the same to thev latter, thereby to retain the operative elc-` inent thereof in assembled relation to each other, a. metallic assembling plate on sai-:l insulating closure and secured thereto and to said housing,by means of said assembling screw, said assembly plate having a threaded axial opening therein, a cup shaped metallic clamping shell encasing the inner porti-on of said insulating housing, and a mounting screw passing through said clan'ipingv shell and threadcdly anchored in the axial opening in said assembling plate, thereby to draw said housing and shell together, and thereby to clamp the supporting wall between the free terminal edge of said clamping shell and the transverse annular shoulder of said insulating housing. y 3. In a device of the character stated, an insulatingl housing having contactchambers therein. contacts wholly contained in said chambers` an insulating' closure vmember* for closing said contact chambers and for forming a support for the feet of said contacts, an assembling plate contacting with said insulating closure member,` a screw positioned at one side of the axis of said housing and passing through said metallic plate and said insulating closure, and an axialscrew engaging said assembling plate and adapted to clampa clamping shell to said housing.

liti

4. In a device of the character stated, an insulating housing having contact chambers therein, contacts wholly contained in said chambers, an insulating closure member for closing said contact chambers and for forming a support for the feet of said contacts, a metallic assembling plate contacting with said insulating closure member, a screw positioned at one side of the axis of said housing and passing through said metallic plate and said insulating closure, an axial screw 'engaging said metallic assembling plate andadapted to clamp a clamping shell to said housing, and a cup shaped metal clamping shell engaging the inner portion oit' said insulating housing, said axial screw passing axially through said cup shaped shell.

5. ln a device of the character stated, an insulatin housing having its outer periphery of di erent diameters and provided with recesses, a support for said housing, contacts positioned within said recesses, an insulating closure member on the inner end of said housing and covering said recesses there-in, a metallic assembling plate positioned against said insulating closure, an assembling screw passing through said insulating closure member and said metallic assembling plate and in threaded engagement with said housing, said assembling screw being located at one side of the axis of said housing and said assembling plate having a threaded axial opening therein, a cup shaped clamping shell engaging the inner portion of said housing, and a mounting screw passing through said clamping shell and in threaded engagement with the axial opening in said assembling plate, thereby to draw said housing and shell together and to clamp said support between the terminal edge of said clamping shell and the contiguous portion of said insulating housing.

6. A device of the character stated, adapted to be mounted in an apertured supporting wall, said device comprising an insulating housing having a rearward shoulder adapted to engage the front of the supporting wall adjacent said aperture, having a pair of spaced contact chambers extending therethrough, prong-engaging contact members disposed within each of said chambers adapted to receive electrical connection prongs through the outer ends of said chambers, an assembling plate detachably secured to the rear of said housing by threaded means anchored in said housing and a clamping member detachably secured rearwardly of said housing by threaded means anchored in said assembling plate; said clamping member having means disposed in juxtaposition to the rearward shoulder of said housing and adapted to engage the rear tace of said supporting wall adjacent the aperture thereof.

7. A device of the character stated, adapted to be mounted in an apertured supporting wall, said device comprising an insulating housing having a rearward shoulder adapted to engage the front of the supportingl wall adjacent said aperture, having a pair of spaced contact chambers extending therethrough, prong-engaging contact members disposed within each of said chambers, adapted to receive electrical connection prongs through the outer ends of said chambers, an assembling plate detachably secured to the rear of said housing by threaded means anchored in said housing and spaced from the axis thereof, and a clamping mem'- ber detachably secured rearwardly o'i said housing by threaded means anchored in said assembling plate and disposed co-axially with respect to said housing; said clamping member having means disposed in juxtaposition to the rearward shoulder of said housing and adapted to engage the rear iace of said supporting wall adjacent the aperture thereof. Y

8. A device of the character stated, adapted to be mounted in an apertured supporting wall, said device comprising an insulating housing having a rearward shoulder adapted to engage the front of the supporting wall adjacent said aperture, and having a. contact chamber therein, a contact member disposed within said chamber, an assembling plate detachablj7 secured to the rear of said housing by adjustable means anchored in said housing and spaced from the axis thereof; said assembling plate confining said contact meniber within said chamber, and a claniping member detachably secured rearwardly oit' said housing by adjustable means anchored in said asembling plate; said clamping member having means disposed in juxtaposition to the rearward shoulder of said housing and adapted to engage the rear face of said supporting wall adjacent the aperture thereof.

HAROLD sLAon. 

